Ash remover



Jan. 22, 1946. w. A. RIDDELL 2,393,412

I ASH REMOVER- v Filed Dec. 14, 1 944 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 WARidd ll Jan. 22, 11946. 5 w A, RID DE L' 2,393,412

ASH REMOVER Filed Dec. 14, 1944 4 Sheets-She s?! 4 A.Riddell Patented Jan. 22, 1 946 Asa REMo'vER Application-December 14, 1944;:s'eria1' No. 568,158

.7 Claims. (Cl'. SOB-50) invention relates to ash disposal apparatus :for :stokers' or other coal burning equipment, andithe' main object is "toiprovidemeans of anovel, 'efilci'ent, 'andfpract'rc'al nature for'removing thBBIShBSfTOIIl the'retort 'orhurning "Lorre andconveyingthemtoaremote"point'wherethey may be emptied into "asuitable"receptaclef'or otherwise 'disposedwf;

A further object is to provide "an ash removal mechanism "that includes mechanical "and".v pneumatic means with automatic control 'ioi thej'air conveyance whereby thelatterwill only he'operate'd-intermittentlyand, for'suchperiodsasrmay actually-berequired.

Still other and "more speciii'cobjects will be set'forth inthe-following specifita'tion; fI'BfGI- en'ce being had tothe-aocompanyingdrawings; wherein: 1 g

Fig; 1 'is a side --elevation "ofas'toker-burner equipped with my improved ash remover; a -por tion of the coal tube being broken-away for purpose of illustration. I

Fig. '2 is atop or plan view of the-Stoker equip-- mentshowninFi'g. 1. v z v is an enlargeddetaii-"elevation of -the fan orblower assembly used in theash conveyor, and with the. cover plate-*df-the-control switch 'box bro'kenaway.

Fig. 4-isan'enlarged sectional elevation online t-lin'FigLZ.

Fig; '5 is aside elevation showing-amodified form of the device. 7' Y Fig. 6 is a plan view of the=constmction shown in Fig. 5, :but' with fractional portions broken away. i I

'Fig. '7 is a sectional elevation on line 'T in Fig. 5.

Fig. '8 is a "sectional elevation 'on"1ine 8---8 in Fig. 5'.

Referring to-the drawings more particularly and'by reference characters h designates the retort of a stoker,'whichalso includes a hopperfB, coalfscrew orsupply tube-C connecting the retort and hopper; and air-"supply duct D, all zof common and-well knownconstruction. I

Suitably connected with theretortA-is a pipe section In adapted at bne end m receive ashes from the retort-and guide them into the tubular 'chamber l l -dfa'housing'unit t2; A fee'd auger I3 is located in the conduit l-flpnd chamber H, A

and this-auger has-ashaft f4: which-extends through a cap l5 in one en'd of th'e chamber H- is operating. Thisaauger is rotated. to. feedin the direction of the arrowsinrig. insets to convey theashes to a'point .below an .openi'ngQlfi in the chamber II. It may here be noted that the auger is provided, beyond=thedischargelopening I 6, with a reverse screw vor flight L1,. the purpose of which .is to cooperatewiththe main auger to squeeze or push the-ashes up into and through the opening 1.6. a

Abovethe opening Hi. the .casing .I2Lis provided with a passageway L8; one-endof which-.connects withthe discharge 19 -of aqblower .ian-lm and theother end ofwhich attaches .to a pipe-.2! through-which the ashes are conducted to their destination. The fan 20; operates in:housing ;22 on which is mountedan electric motor. g3, .for

driyingntheefan. I I v e f1 1 v Within the "passage -1 8-, andsdirectly .above the openingclt, is located-a tiltable-, -normally inclined plate 24'whichiscmountedoni-asmd or shaft .25 that extends through one. wall of the: housing 12 and into a chamber 526 where it supports a: similarly inclined. plate 2-1. (Fig. 3).. Upon this-plate 21 vis mounted a mercury switch 28 which controls anelectric cirduitehaving wires passing through a eeable .orconduitia to the fan .motor 23. .-A time: switch 30 may also be included inthe-circuit and is of such nature that when the circuit has been closed bythe .switch 28,v it will'remain closed to, energize the motor for a predetermined; period-0f time even thoughthe plate 24 may drop to open. the switch. The

purpose of this arrangement is to preventrstanting and-stopping .of the blower motor for each fluctuation of the plate 24, as-thatiis unnecessary: for successful operation.

It will be understood that as the ashes :con veyed' by the auger 43- are pushed up through the: opening I6 they will raise the plate :24 and when it reaches a predeterminedheight orlevel; the switch 28 closes the fan motor to create'a blast of air through the passageway 13 that will carry the ashes on throughv andv up into the: conduit 2-1 for disposal at aremotepoint. It-will further be understood ithatthe plateizd is notroi such width or size as to close ofi the passageway I8, even whenthe'plate is in its down position,

and" that as long as the 'fan isoperating 'it will.

V Inorder to insure :proper and most iefi'icient:operation 'of the air flow, and to preventanypos sihle clogging. 10f. the passageway t8, '1. consider it advisable to increase the velocity of the air stream at the initial point of contact with the ash body, and for that reason have provided an inclined plate 3| immediately in advance of the opening l6 to restrict the passageway and cause a Venturi action of the air as it passes over the opening [6. This plate 3! is mounted upon a rod or shaft 32 that extends to the exterior of the housing 12 and is there secured in an arm 33 which is arcuately adjustable so that the angle of the plate may be regulated. The arm 33 may be secured in the desired position by having a pull pin 34 selectively engageable with holes 35 in a lug projection 36 of the housing l2.

Referring now to the modified form of structure shown in Figs. -8, inclusive, 3! designates the ash tube or conduit through which the ashes are moved by an auger 38 toward an opening 39 which in this case extends from one side of the tube rather than upwardly as in the form first described. In this case too the auger has a re versed flight 40 which is spaced from the terminal end of the main auger and both screw sections are mounted on a common shaft 4|, as in the previous instance.

It will be noted that the opening 39 permits the ashes to be pushed out into the chamber 42 of a casing 43, and in this chamber there is mounted an inclined plate 44 that is mounted on a rod, or shaft 45. This shaft extends to the exterior of the casing and at its outer end is provided with an arm 46 upon which is mounted a mercury switch 41 that controls the circuit to a motor 48 for a fan 49 mounted in a fan housing 50. The outlet of the fan connects with a conduit 5| which opens laterally into the chamber 42, and at the opposite side of the casing 43 there is provided a discharge or exhaust pipe52 through which the ashes are carried to their ultimate destination. In this case too there is provided an air flow restricting plate (not shown) similar to the plate 3| and its angle is regulated by a control arm 53 that is adjustable in the same manner as the control'arm 33 previously described.

In this modified form of the invention the ashes are pushed out into the chamber 42 until they build up to raise the plate 44 to a predetermined angle, at which time the mercury switch 41 operates to close the circiut to the motor 48 and thus start rotation of the fan 43. As the air is then discharged from the housing 50 it flows down into and through the conduit 5| and passes through the chamber 42 crosswise with respect to the plate 44 and thus picks up and carries with it the ashes which have accumu- The fan continues to process. In this case too the shaft 4! will be continuously operated in order to insure the continuous removal of all ashes from the retort and particularly so since little power is required to operate the auger. It may be explained, however, that in most stokers the volume of ash material to be removed is comparatively small and it is therefore not necessary or desirable to operate the fan except at infrequent intervals, and only at such times as enough ashes have accumulated to justify their removal.

It will further be understood that various other modifications may be made in the device as herein shown providing such modifications come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Having now therefore fully illustrated and described preferred embodiments of my invention, what I claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In an ash remover, an air conduit having an ash receiving port, a fan for blowing air through the conduit, a motor for the fan, and circuit control means for the motor including an element mounted adjacent said port for actuation by a predetermined accumulation of ash material passing into the passageway from the port, said passageway being provided with means in advance of the port to restrict the air opening and increase the air flow velocity as it traverses the port opening.

. 2. In an ash remover, an air conduit having an ash receiving port, a fan for blowing air through the conduit, a motor for the fan, and circuit control. means for the motor including an element mounted in the passageway adjacent said port for actuation by a predetermined amount of ash material accumulated in the passageway, said passageway being provided with means in advance of the port to restrict the air opening and increase the air flow velocity as it traverses the port opening, and meansfor adijusting said restricting means to control .the air velocity past the port opening. v

3. In an ash remover, an ash conduit adapted to receive ashes from a retort or the. like, an auger operating in the conduit to move the ashes therethrough, an air passageway disposed adjacent the discharge end-of the conduit and communicating therewith through a connecting opening, a blower for blowing air through the passageway, a motor for operating the blower, and means actuated by a predetermined volume of ash material passing into the passageway from the opening for closing a circuit to the motor. 4. (Inan ash remover, an ,ash conduit adapted to receive ashes from a retort or the like, an anger operating'in the conduit to .move the ashes therethrough, an air passageway disposed adjacent the discharge end of the conduit and communicating therewith throughya connecting opening, a blower for blowing air through the passageway, a motor for operating the blower, and means responsive to the accumulation of a predetermined amount of ash material in thepassageway for closing a circuit to the motor, such motor circuit including a time switch adapted to m'aintain operation of the motor for apredetermined period of time irrespective of the position of said circuit closing means.

5. In an ash remover, an ash conduit adapted to receive ashes from a retort or the like, an auger operating in the conduit to move the ashes therethrough, anair passageway disposed adjacent the discharge end of the conduit and communicating therewith through a connecting opening, a blower for blowing air through the passageway, a motorfor operating the blower, and means actuated by a predetermined volume of ash material passing into the passageway from the opening forclosing a circuit to the motor, said con-- necting opening being above the auger, and said ash actuating means including a tiltable member overlyingsaid opening. I

. 6. In an ash removen an ash conduit, an auger operating in said conduit, said conduit having a side port, adjacent the discharge end of the auger, opening into a chamber adapted to receive ashes under the delivery action of the auger, a tiltable member arranged in. they chamber to be influenced by a predetermined accumulation of ash material delivered therein to, a switch operr,

ated by the tiltable member, said chamber having openings through which an air current may pass to carry away the ashes, a motor driven fan for 7 creating such air current, and the motor for said fan being in circuit conection with said switch.

7. In an ash remover, an ash conduit, an auger operating in said conduit, said conduit having a side port, adjacent the discharge end of the auger, opening into a chamber adapted to receive ashes under the delivery action of the auger, a tiltable member arranged in the chamber tion of ash material delivered therein to, a switch operated by the tiltable member, said chamber having openings through which an air current may pass to carry away the ashes, a motor driven fan for creating such air current, and the motor for said fan being in circuit connection with said switch, said chamber openings being so arranged that the air flow through thechamber will be in a direction edgewise and crossways with respect to the tiltable member.

WILLIAM A. RIDDELL. 

